What better place to build green than in your garden? Check out these four eco friendly shed ideas to compliment your eco friendly yard.
When Devin started constructing our rather large garden shed from reclaimed materials I have to admit I was skeptical. Not about the garden shed design. Not about his building skills. And definitely not about the reclaimed materials. But the fact that he was building it in the dead of winter inside our garage? Did I mention our garage is nowhere near our backyard?
Several months and a lot of creative thinking later, I watched as he and his dad dragged the fully-framed shed down the steep hill next to our house and over to its final resting place with a backhoe. Then, he spent the rest of the summer learning how to work with metal siding and roofing via YouTube, because we had leftover materials from our garage build and he wanted to use them. Now that, my friends, is how you DIY sustainably.
While the majority of this post is meant to provide garden shed inspiration for those who too are on the eco-DIY track, I also discuss buying ready-made shed packages vs hiring a local builder. If that sounds more like you, use the menu below to skip to that section.
But if you’re inspired to build your very own eco friendly shed, then read on!
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Incorporate Reclaimed Materials into Your Sustainable Shed Design
Reclaimed materials are any material that were originally used for something else. For example, scraps of lumber leftover from a new home build can be used from framing. Wood siding that was pulled off an old house can be used on the exterior of a shed. The roof could have shingles found at businesses like the Habitat for Humanity ReStore.
As mentioned above, reclaimed materials is the route we went. To be fully transparent, we did have to buy some new materials to fill in when we had nothing reclaimed to use. The garden shed pictured below was built by Dana from Funky Junk Interiors also using a mix of new and reclaimed materials and I think it turned out beautifully!
Build an Eco Friendly Garden Shed Made from Natural Materials
If you envision a shed that really blends into your garden, consider building one using natural materials such as cob, adobe or straw bale. All three of these building techniques have been around for centuries, which makes sense because before human-made materials such as plastic and metal came around – natural was all we had to choose from.
If you’re thinking that building a shed using one of these techniques sounds difficult, I encourage you to check out this straw bale shed project. Jana Johnston of Kansas built a straw bale garden shed from scratch with the help of friends and family and no previous experience with straw bale construction.
Need help choosing eco-conscious furniture and decor for your home? That’s what I’m here for!
Consider a Green Roof as Part of Your Eco Shed Build
What better place to install a green roof than in a garden? I think green roofs are amazing and are going to be a huge aspect of sustainable design moving forward. But installing a green roof on top of your home is a huge and very expensive undertaking. So why not try it on a smaller scale for starters?
One thing to keep in mind if you are considering building a shed with a green roof is that they’re easier to install on a flat roof, although the lovely shed below illustrates a sloped-roof can work as well. You’ll also want to consider that green roofs add extra weight and thus your shed’s roof system may need to be beefed up. I found this article from Treehugger about creating green roof’s helpful.
Not a DIYer and Looking to Buy? Read This First
About to type storage sheds near me into the search bar because DIYing isn’t for you? Before you do, here’s a few things to consider. What’s likely to come up is a mixture of ready-made sheds from big box stores and options by small, local builders. Many of the big box store options are going to be plastic-based and were likely built overseas and shipped to your “local” store.
Meanwhile, if you hire a builder who specializes in constructing garden sheds and other small buildings, you are truly supporting your local economy. And even if they don’t specialize in eco garden shed designs, ask them if they’re willing to work with reclaimed or natural materials. Local builders want your business and the ones who love their community and their craft will be receptive to your ideas.
Time to go forth and build (or buy) a garden shed that compliments your eco-conscious lifestyle. Because the garden is a place where everything – even ideas – grow!
Do you have a garden shed? If so, what materials is made of? If not, describe your dream shed in the comments below…
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Posted on May 24, 2024
Need help choosing eco-conscious furniture and decor for your home? That’s what I’m here for!
Former architectural technologist. Current treehugger.
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